the raindrops of life… some warm, some storm

Wet bunnies

Our yard is one of few in this part of the block that does not have a dog. So we occasionally get some rabbits visiting the back yard. That is, when my daughter isn’t chasing them.

Twice this spring I have looked outside while it was raining to see one hiding under the end of my daughter’s swingset slide to stay dry. Very cute. Again, at least until my daughter noticed the second time and scared it away.

Last week when I moved the swingset to the other side of the yard, I even took this into consideration on slide placement, so that the end was in an area that wouldn’t turn into a puddle area as the summer went on and feet eroded the grass where they would land.

It has been raining off and on most of this week. No sign of bunnies.

But this evening, as I sat on the covered patio, I saw one. But it wasn’t under the slide. It was cowering in the grass, getting drenched, right near where the swingset used to be.

It made me feel so awful!

I got as close as I could without scaring it and set a patio table in the grass to give it some shelter, but the rabbit didn’t get it. Eventually it went to another part of the yard that was getting less wet, but still got some rain.

Now, logically, I know that its a wild animal. They get wet. They find shelters. It doesn’t hurt them, and they don’t particularly need my help. But I still felt so bad about moving the shelter it had previously found. Even knowing that it was not my intent to make a rabbit miserable by doing so.

I am more mean than nice when you get deeply honest about it, and even I am sad about a random wet rabbit that I’ve only seen twice before. My mind can’t help going to verses about sparrows and flowers.

How much more intense one who truly is good, and deeply involved, must feel when life’s rain makes miserable rabbits who just didn’t get it… just didn’t notice the shelter open to them as they search in vain for the shifting shelters of past comfort.

And how sad when I get upset and start taking it personally when the swingset I was cowering under has moved.